State scholarships – an opportunity to attract foreign students to Lithuania
On 14 October, the Education Exchanges Support Foundation invited master degree students from foreign countries studying in Lithuanian higher education institutions and receiving state scholarships to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The event was not only to congratulate the new scholarship holders, but also to promote their mutual acquaintanceship and sense of community.
Welcoming the participants of the event, Regina Valutytė, the Vice-Minister of Education, Science and Sport, was pleased to note that more and more talented students from different foreign countries are choosing Lithuania for their master degree studies. According to the Vice-Minister, this choice shows confidence in the quality of Lithuanian higher education.
She also joyfully mentioned that students of Lithuanian origin from countries as far away as Australia and Brazil are returning to study in Lithuania. In her speech, the Vice-Minister also highlighted Lithuania’s continued support for students from Ukraine who were forced by the war to seek a safer environment to continue their studies.
Every year, Lithuania awards scholarships to international students to attract young talents from around the world. These scholarships give students the opportunity to study at Lithuanian higher education institutions in postgraduate or short-term study programmes, while strengthening the internationalisation and competitiveness of higher education in Lithuania. Part of the foreign students who have completed their education in Lithuania are expected to stay and work here, contributing to the growth of the skilled labour force.
This year, 70 postgraduate students from Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, China, China, Kazakhstan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Sakartvelo, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Belarus have received state scholarships to study at Lithuanian higher education institutions. As many as 56 of the 70 postgraduate students who have been awarded a scholarship this year have already been granted their bachelor’s degree in Lithuania, which shows that international students are finding a supportive environment to learn and build their future here.
For the second year running, the government is encouraging students to choose study programmes in priority areas such as computer science, life sciences and engineering. This is how the shortage of skilled labour in these sectors is being addressed. This year, 44 out of 70 funded students have chosen to study in these fields.
To improve the integration of foreign students, since last year, all students who have received state scholarships must learn Lithuanian and reach A1 level. This helps them to fit in more easily in academic and social environments.
In addition to scholarships for master’s degree, there are also 35 state scholarships for short-term studies and 20 scholarships for studies of Lituanistics this year. These programmes contribute to the promotion of Lithuania’s name in the world and strengthen links with Lithuanian students living abroad.
In recent years, the number of foreign students in Lithuania has been growing steadily – in the academic year 2024/2025, they accounted for 13.85% of all students, up from just 5% in 2010.
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